Kathleen West-Evans, MPA, CRC
Director of Business Relations
Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation, Bothell, WA

Kathy West-Evans, the CSAVR Director of Business Relations is from the State of Washington. Kathy has her MPA from Seattle University, a BS from the University of Washington and is a CRC who is fluent in American Sign Language. She has been in the field of rehabilitation since 1978. She started her professional career working as a vocational consultant and manager of the Projects with Industry (PWI) program at the Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center in Seattle. She moved into the Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) in 1983 as a VR counselor for consumers who are deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing. Kathy held a number of positions within DVR during her 14-year tenure with the state agency. In addition to her time as a VR counselor, she worked as an assistant regional administrator, a regional business relations specialist, and the Statewide Manager for Business Relations and Marketing.

In 1997, Kathy moved to the federal level with the Region X office of Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) where she worked until July 2005. Kathy was employed as a RSA VR Program Specialist, serving as the State representative to Oregon and Alaska as well as the regional specialist in the areas of employment and business development, the ADA, training, CSPD, PWI, and services to individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing. She served on the planning committee for the RSA – CSAVR National Employment Conferences in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2004. Kathy is the co-founder of the ACCESS - conference, job fair, technology and resource expo for business and people with disabilities held annually in the Seattle area since 1994.